Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV by Borthwick, Finlay (book recommendations website .TXT) 📗

With a disturbed look on his face, Rubin was distracted by Euan’s speech about martyrdom. As such, he had failed to notice that Nolan, who was still in his grip and at gunpoint, was slowly slipping a penknife out from under his sleeve…

… “Why would you live in fear,” Euan posed a question to Kieran, “When you could be that same fear?” He was effectively repeating what he had said earlier.

“Because you’re not something to fear.” Kieran bluntly affirmed. “You’re just a bunch of fucking idiots who are praising some dead guy that got thrown into a sewer years ago!” He taunted Euan based off of what he had learned about The Bandits from Cora’s stories.

But then, Euan’s ears pricked up, as did those of his henchmen.

Noticing this sudden pique of interest, Nikola and Rubin became uneasy, looking to each other out of their peripheral vision with concern.

Nolan now had a firm grip on the penknife that was tucked into his sleeve cuff; something which Rubin was still completely unaware of. He was ready to flip it open at any given moment.

“How do you know about how Kyle died?” Euan questioned Kieran, taking a step back from him as he did so.

“Does it matter?” Kieran rebutted, not understanding the sudden increase in tension.

Euan looked back at Johnno with perplexed eyes, then turned back to face Kieran, “How do you know what happened to him?” He reiterated the question.

“Does. It. Matter?” Kieran, in kind, reiterated his response.

Euan clenched his fists as his face turned sour, “You have one more chance to answer.”

Kieran laughed him off once more, “I think you’ll find that we’re the ones in control here.” His gullibility could not have been any more ironic.

“We’ll see about that,” Euan forebodingly declared, “GRAH!” He punched straight up at Kieran’s jaw, causing him to lose balance.

In the same moment, Nolan flipped open his penknife and ducked out of Rubin’s loosening grip before stabbing him in his right hip.

“AGH!” Rubin winced out in agony as he felt the blade cut into the highest point of his femur.

“Rubin!” Nikola cried out as she threw Donna to the ground and wildly fired two shots at Nolan; both of which missed him, though one of them had accidentally hit the unnamed bandit in the shoulder and sent him tumbling backwards off of the roof.

Before another shot could be fired, Donna kicked at Nikola’s shin, causing her to fall over.

“Let go of her you bitch!” Valorie reached down as she attempted to lift Donna off of Nikola by her shoulders.

Seeing this commotion between the three women, Nolan retracted his penknife from Rubin’s hip, leaving him to drop down on his knees, and called out to his friend, “Donna! Catch!” Nolan caught her attention as he slid his penknife along the rooftop and into her reach.

Grabbing the penknife firmly, Donna twisted around and stabbed Valorie in the shoulder.

“Ow! Fuck!” Valorie squealed out in pain as she pulled the knife out of her arm.

Before it could be used, however, Donna had pulled Valorie onto the ground with her. Using all her might, she kept Nikola and Valorie both firmly down beneath her.

Now, the tables had completely turned: Euan was mercilessly beating Kieran to a pulp as he kept him pinned down, Johnno had run over to Donna to assist her with the defeated Nikola and Valorie, and Nolan had reclaimed his rifle which he now used to keep the injured Rubin on his knees and at gunpoint.

* * *

With bleeding knuckles, Euan asked Kieran his question one more time, throwing another punch with each word, “How. Do. You. Know. About. Kyle?”

Kieran was on the verge of passing out, too buffeted to form any sort of incomprehensible answer through his broken and bloody teeth.

“Leave him alone you motherfucker!” Valorie yelled out, still being held firmly against the rooftop by Johnno with his M1 carbine.

“Don’t you dare!” Euan backed off of Kieran and now turned to face Valorie with eyes of pure anger, “Who the hell do you think you are bossing me about in my own territory?”

Valorie spat towards him, “Go fuck yourself! You and your stupid god Kyle!” She could not care less about what would happen to her anymore, therefore, disclosed every single thought that came into her mind.

Euan’s aggressive smile softened eerily into a conniving grin, “That was a big mistake on your part, love… You see, I’m a real sucker for killing somebody with a good reason to.” He nodded to Johnno, prompting him to hand over his rifle, which he did so.

“Don’t!” Rubin had realised what Euan was planning to do, and was desperate to intervene, “Just leave her alone! Please! Kill me instead!”

“Shut him up!” Euan aggressively ordered Nolan.

Then, with the butt of his rifle, Nolan cracked Rubin over his head, as Nikola watched on in a silent yet aggressive dismay.

“Now then,” Euan retraced his aim upon Valorie as he forced her up and guided her to the very edge of the roof top, “You ever been skydiving?”

Valorie still did not answer. Instead, she looked out across the sky in acceptance of her fate.

“Let me tell you,” Euan taunted as he raised the rifle to her head, “It feels a little like this—”

‘GRAHHHH!’

 Kieran bellowed out as, with all his remaining strength, he scrambled to his feet and charged towards Euan.

Due to how large the carbine was, Euan was not able to turn around and face his oncoming attacker in a sufficient amount of time.

Within moments of his war cry, Kieran had shoulder-barged Euan from a diagonal angle, causing him to quickly lose balance and stumble backwards.

“Fuck! Fuck!” Euan swore loudly as he tumbled backwards off of the rooftop, screaming as he plummeted down to the ground